Zeier's sprained ankle puts more heat on Vick

Eric Zeier, acquired in a March trade with Tampa Bay, sprained his right ankle on Saturday, the last day of minicamp. Though Zeier believes he'll be ready when training camp begins July 19, his injury further clouded the battle for the No. 2 job behind starting quarterback Chris Chandler.

''All I can do is worry about myself,'' Vick said. ''I can't control what happens to other people. I can't control things like injuries that might happen to me. I just have to stay focused.''

Falcons coach Dan Reeves acknowledges that any negative development concerning Chandler, Zeier or Doug Johnson will only serve to increase the pressure to get Vick on the field.

''First guy picked in the entire draft, there's gonna be a lot of hoopla,'' Reeves said. ''His life won't ever be the same. But I think he's done everything that he could possibly do to prepare himself to this point. It just doesn't happen overnight.''

Those familiar with the Falcons know the No. 2 quarterback has to be prepared. Chandler, a 14-year veteran and a two-time Pro Bowl selection, has a history of injuries.

Vick has tried to block out the distractions that accompany his $62 million contract and focus on football. He and the other quarterbacks arrive most days around 8:30 a.m. and often don't leave until 6:30 p.m.

Though Vick only turned 21 last month and played just two seasons at Virginia Tech, many Falcons consider him a model rookie.

''I think he's done a great job,'' Zeier said. ''We've spent an awful lot of time this offseason in the classroom, out here on the field, and he's been right here with me every step of the way. To come in and especially to be the No. 1 draft pick, to spend as much time as he has -- you're going to see results from that eventually down the road.''

Johnson, like Zeier, understands that all players aren't created equal in the NFL. The former Florida and Georgia standouts realize one of them likely will make the squad next month and the other will get cut.

''You take a guy with the first pick and give him all that money -- he's going to be ahead of you,'' said Johnson, a starter in two games last year. ''That's what a lot of players have gone through with teams, and they've done their job and things have been good for them.''

Said Zeier, ''That's the way it is for the majority of people in this league. If it doesn't happen here, it could easily happen someplace else. Obviously, I want it to happen here.''

With Atlanta scheduled to open the preseason Aug. 3 at Pittsburgh and the regular season Sept. 9 at San Francisco, Vick believes he has command of nearly one-fifth of the playbook -- which Reeves considers ahead of the curve for a rookie quarterback.

Vick and Zeier continue to share a growing knowledge of the offense. Even so, both often wonder if Reeves, Chandler and quarterbacks coach Jack Burns are speaking another language.

''It's not quite that bad, but when I first got here, they said a couple of plays, and I was like, 'What are you guys talking about?' '' Zeier said. ''But we're getting over that point now to where it's becoming second-nature. Not quite there, but getting close.''

Said Vick, ''That's the same way I was. Sometimes, I still get lost. There's so much, so much. You learn so much. It's tough. There's a different language that comes with it. There's a lot of different things that come with every play. This happens, that happens -- you deal with it each and every play.''

This article published in the Athens Banner-Herald on Sunday, July 8, 2001.